Regional Guide

The epicenter of Adirondacks skiing is, of course, Lake Placid, home to the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Downhill at Whiteface Mountain, with the east's highest vertical drop (3,216 feet), or at Gore Mountain.

Beginning cross-country skiers should take to the trails near Old Forge. Glide around Moss Lake (2.5 miles) or Cascade Lake (5.4 miles). In good shape? Take on both in the same day, with time to spare.

Making a run on Lake Placid's Olympic bobsled course isn't restricted to the winter months (they put wheels on in summer), but flying down the icy course is the best way to experience it.

Snowmobiling is big up here—really big. See what all the fuss is about near Fourth Lake in the southeast region of the park, where you'll find some great trails, like the run out to Nelson Lake and Remsen Falls.

Head to the northwestern parcel of the Cranberry Lake region to do some cross-country skiing away from the crowds. The 7-mile Peavine Swamp Ski Trail is one of the most remote and pristine in all of the Adirondacks.